Press Releases
BEIJING, December 13, 2001 - FedEx Express (FedEx), the world's
largest express transportation company, is doing its part to further
the cultural exchange across the Taiwan Strait and shipped more
than 150 pieces of national treasures from the Beijing Poly Museum
to Taiwan.
With an estimated value of US$56.16 million, the cultural relics
from Mainland China will be displayed as part of the "Three Bronze
Heads from Yuanmingyuan: Stone Sculptures of Buddha / Bodhisattva
& Bronze Wares" exhibition. The exhibition which has been on display
in Beijing will be held at the National Dr. Sun Yat-sen Memorial
Hall in Taipei from December 22, 2001 until the end of March 2002.
"FedEx is delighted to play a role in facilitating the exchange
of such important historical and cultural artifacts and knowledge
to the people of Taiwan," explained Jimmy Chen, Managing Director,
FedEx Taiwan.
Huey-Yuan Tsia, Vice President of Universal group, the organizing
unit, is thankful for FedEx's dedicated support for the event. "Very
few companies have the infrastructure and human resources necessary
to deliver such a large number of historical relics and ensure that
they remain in pristine condition. We very much appreciate FedEx's
efforts for taking exceptional care of these items," she added.
Featured in the exhibition are the bronze heads of an ox, tiger
and monkey from Yuanmingyuan, which were repurchased at an auction
last year, after having been dispersed overseas for 140 years. Along with
other national treasures, the three bronze heads have been carefully
packed in Beijing, and delivered safely to Taiwan by FedEx for the
exhibition.
Dating back more than 1,000 years, the historical value of the
antiquities cannot solely be determined in monetary terms.
"It can safely be said that each day more than 3.3 million people
all over the world entrust FedEx to deliver their shipments on time
and in excellent condition. In this case we have taken extra special
care in handling the shipment because in addition to being valuable
in the financial sense, the spirit of heritage and history that
these items represent are truly priceless," explained Chen.
"As both Mainland China and Taiwan are preparing to enter the World
Trade Organization as full trading partners, exchanges of culture,
history and educational programs and other cultural endeavors from
countries around Asia and the world will become more and more important."
According to Chen, "FedEx can play a pivotal role in helping to
facilitate that exchange."
FedEx Express, a US$15 billion subsidiary of FedEx Corp., connects
areas that generate 90% of the world's gross domestic product in
24-48 hours with door-to-door, customs-cleared service and a money-back
guarantee. The company's unmatched air route authorities and infrastructure
make it the world's largest express transportation company, providing
fast, reliable and time-definite transportation of more than 3.3
million items to 211 countries each working day. FedEx employs approximately
144,000 employees and has more than 45,000 drop-off locations, 640
aircraft and more than 45,000 vehicles in its integrated global
network.
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